The Hard Verses of the Bible
The Hard Verses of the Bible: Faced Honestly, Not Explained Away
Some verses are hard, and pretending otherwise helps no one. The conquest of Canaan, the last line of Psalm 137, God saying I create evil, Jesus saying no one comes to the Father but by me, the way the Bible handles slavery. This cluster does not dodge them and does not offer glib defenses. Each page states plainly why the verse troubles honest readers, sets it in its real context, lays out how Christians have understood it (including where sincere believers still differ), admits what remains hard, and follows it toward Christ, who is the clearest window we have into the heart of God.
The Conquest of CanaanDeuteronomy 20:16The FloodGenesis 7:23Psalm 137 and the Little OnesPsalm 137:9I Make Peace and Create EvilIsaiah 45:7God Hardened Pharaoh's HeartExodus 9:12Jacob Have I Loved, Esau HatedRomans 9:13The Bible and SlaveryEphesians 6:5Let the Women Keep Silence1 Corinthians 14:34The She-Bears and the Youths2 Kings 2:24Hate Your Father and MotherLuke 14:26No Man Cometh but by MeJohn 14:6The Unpardonable SinMatthew 12:31An Eye for an EyeExodus 21:24If Thy Hand Offend TheeMark 9:43Let the Dead Bury Their DeadMatthew 8:22